St. John Chrysostom on Answering Tough Questions

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St. John Chrysostom (347-407) was an Archbishop of Constantinople who became one of the most famous preachers in the early centuries of the church. In fact, his name Chrysostom means “golden mouth” – a clear indication of his rhetoric prowess.
 
One of the scariest things for leaders is answering tough questions, for good leaders recognize the importance of “getting it right.” If fact, Chrysostom knew that intense pressure surrounding questions came with being a leader in the church and noted that he was hesitant to become a leader for that very reason.

We see his comments on answering tough questions in one of his brief sections in Six Books on the Priesthood.
 
Proceeding the following quote is a discussion of the many heresies floating around the church, and the need for church leaders to properly address such dangers. Chrysostom then noted how the failure of the leader to answer a question on such pressing issues may lead to disillusionment and a waning of confidence in the faith. 
 
“Wherefore he, whose lot it is to teach others, more than any man, needs experience in these conflicts. For though he himself stand rooted in safety, and be not injured by the gainsayers, yet, when the multitude of simpler folk, who are set beneath him, see their leader worsted and unable to answer the gainsayers, they do not blame his feebleness for the defeat, but the weakness of the doctrine; and, by reason of the inexperience of one man, the great multitude is brought into utter ruin. Though they may not utterly join the enemy, yet they are driven to doubt in matters wherein they might have been confident; and those whom they were wont to approach with unwavering faith, they hear no more with the same security; on the contrary, such a storm enters their souls by reason of their teacher’s defeat that the evil ends in utter shipwreck.” (445-446)
 
What I found most striking in this statement is Chrysostom’s observation regarding how people may not blame the leader for the lack of a satisfactory answer but instead actually blame the “weakness of doctrine.” In other words, the problem was perceived not be the fault of the pastor but rather the Christian faith itself.
 
Of course, a poorly constructed answer is not the fault of Christian doctrine. Yet in the eyes of the faithful that may sometimes seem to be the case. And that perception has far reaching implications for those in the pews – a situation Chrysostom portrays as a storm “entering people’s souls” leading to an “utter shipwreck.” 
 
Chrysostom went on to say that his reticence to enter the ministry was rooted in that very fear of ruining souls and facing God’s judgment as a result.
 
“How awful is the ruin, and how fierce the fire which is heaped on his unhappy head for every one of these souls that perish I need not tell you, since you know all this perfectly. Is my conduct then due to arrogance, is it due to vainglory, if I refused to be the cause of perdition to so many and to earn for myself a severer punishment than that which now awaits me in the world to come?” (447-448)
 
I am not sure what factors changed Chrysostom’s mind in regard to him becoming a leader, but I can think of one way to mitigate the danger of shipwrecking people’s faith because of a poor or inadequate answer. 
 
A posture of humility when in difficult discussions is the best way forward. For instance, always mention in your answers that there are others who know much more, and that you are providing just a sliver of the truth of the doctrine or just a glimpse of the divine mystery. While admitting that one does not know everything is humbling for those who like to project a persona of omniscience, pointing to the rich resources of the ancient Christian tradition will hopefully reveal that there is much more to consider than your own feeble words. 
 
After all, the point is to ensure that people think that any problems with answers are due to your own inadequacy, not a deficiency of the actual doctrine itself.
 
 
This is part three of my focus on St. John Chrysostom.
​For earlier blogs, see here and here.
Here is a link to Six Books on the Priesthood.